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Verisign functions as the authoritative registry operator for the .com, .net, and .name top-level domains (TLDs).
Answer: True
Verisign holds the contract to operate as the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
Verisign acts as the primary technical subcontractor for the .jobs and .edu sponsored top-level domains.
Answer: True
Verisign provides essential technical backend services as a subcontractor for the .jobs and .edu sponsored top-level domains.
A domain name registrar functions similarly to a registry operator, acting as the central administrator for a Top-Level Domain (TLD).
Answer: False
Domain name registrars and registry operators have distinct roles. Registry operators are the central administrators for specific TLDs (e.g., Verisign for .com), while registrars are the 'retailers' that sell domain names directly to the public.
Verisign's two main business divisions are Naming Services and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services.
Answer: True
Verisign operates primarily through two key business divisions: Naming Services and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services.
Verisign acts as the authoritative registry for the .cc top-level domain, officially associated with the Cocos Islands.
Answer: True
Verisign serves as the contracted registry operator for the .cc country-code top-level domain (ccTLD), which is officially associated with the Cocos Islands.
Verisign's Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services division includes DDoS mitigation.
Answer: True
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation is a key service offered within Verisign's Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services division.
Which of the following are key top-level domains (TLDs) for which Verisign serves as the authoritative registry?
Answer: .com, .net, .name
Verisign is the authoritative registry operator for the generic top-level domains .com, .net, and .name.
How does Verisign's role as a registry operator differ from a domain name registrar?
Answer: Operators are central administrators ('wholesalers') of specific TLDs, while registrars are 'retailers' interacting directly with the public.
Registry operators function as the central administrators for specific TLDs, whereas domain name registrars engage directly with the public as retail providers of domain names.
Which of the following is NOT one of Verisign's two main business divisions?
Answer: Domain Name Registration Services
Verisign's primary business divisions are Naming Services and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services. Domain Name Registration Services are typically performed by registrars, not registry operators like Verisign.
Verisign, Inc. holds primary responsibility for managing precisely one of the thirteen Internet root nameservers.
Answer: False
Verisign, Inc. operates two of the thirteen Internet root nameservers (specifically, the 'A' and 'J' root servers), not just one. This statement is therefore factually incorrect.
Verisign operates the 'C' and 'K' root servers.
Answer: False
Verisign operates the 'A' and 'J' root servers, not the 'C' and 'K' root servers.
Verisign employs an 'anycast' network strategy to augment the reliability and availability of its operated root servers.
Answer: True
The implementation of an 'anycast' network architecture allows Verisign to distribute traffic across multiple locations, thereby enhancing the resilience and availability of its root servers against failures and attacks.
Verisign's operation of two of the Internet's root servers (A and J) is insignificant to the global internet infrastructure.
Answer: False
The operation of root servers, such as the 'A' and 'J' servers managed by Verisign, is fundamentally critical to the functioning of the internet's Domain Name System (DNS) and overall infrastructure.
Following the U.S. government's transition away from direct oversight of the domain-naming system, Verisign did not lose its role as root zone maintainer.
Answer: True
Despite the U.S. government's shift in oversight, Verisign retained its critical role as the root zone maintainer, securing a new contract in 2016.
Verisign operates the 'A' root server, but not the 'J' root server.
Answer: False
Verisign operates both the 'A' and the 'J' root servers, which are critical components of the internet's infrastructure.
The 'anycast' strategy helps Verisign's root servers mitigate distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Answer: True
By distributing traffic across multiple network locations, the 'anycast' strategy employed by Verisign enhances the resilience of its root servers against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
What is Verisign, Inc.'s primary function in internet infrastructure?
Answer: Managing critical network infrastructure, including root servers and TLD registries like .com and .net.
Verisign's core function involves managing essential internet infrastructure, encompassing root servers and the authoritative registry operations for key top-level domains such as .com and .net.
Which two specific root servers does Verisign operate?
Answer: Root servers A and J
Verisign is responsible for operating two of the thirteen Internet root servers: the 'A' root server and the 'J' root server.
What strategy does Verisign employ to enhance the reliability and availability of its root servers?
Answer: Making the servers 'anycast' to distribute traffic across multiple locations.
Verisign utilizes an 'anycast' network architecture, which distributes traffic across geographically dispersed locations, thereby improving the reliability and availability of its root servers.
James Bidzos founded Verisign, Inc. on April 12, 1995.
Answer: True
The company Verisign, Inc. was established on April 12, 1995, with James Bidzos as its founder.
Verisign's initial mission focused on providing cloud computing services.
Answer: False
Verisign's initial mission was centered on establishing trust for the internet and electronic commerce through Digital Authentication services, not cloud computing.
In the year 2000, Verisign acquired Network Solutions for $21 billion, thereby gaining operational control over the .com and .net TLDs.
Answer: True
Verisign's acquisition of Network Solutions in 2000 for $21 billion was a pivotal moment, granting it significant control over the management of the .com and .net top-level domains.
Verisign divested the retail domain name registrar business of Network Solutions in 2003.
Answer: True
In 2003, Verisign sold the retail domain name registrar operations of Network Solutions, allowing the company to focus more intently on its registry functions.
In 2010, Verisign sold its authentication business unit to Symantec for $1.28 billion.
Answer: True
Verisign divested its authentication business, which included SSL certificates and related services, to Symantec in 2010 for a sum of $1.28 billion.
In October 2018, Neustar, Inc. acquired Verisign's Security Service Customer Contracts.
Answer: True
Neustar, Inc. acquired Verisign's Security Service Customer Contracts in October 2018, encompassing services such as DDoS protection and Managed DNS.
Verisign relinquished its operation of the .org top-level domain in 2003.
Answer: True
Verisign relinquished its operation of the .org TLD in 2003 as part of ICANN's strategic goal to promote competition within the domain name market.
Verisign retained the contract for the .net domain in 2005 partly due to concerns about national security implications of foreign bidders.
Answer: True
Verisign successfully retained the .net domain contract in 2005, with concerns about national security implications of foreign bidders being one contributing factor.
Verisign operated the .gov top-level domain registry services from 2011 until 2023.
Answer: True
Verisign managed the .gov domain registry services starting in 2011, concluding this role in 2023 when Cloudflare assumed management.
Network Solutions' 1993 contract with the National Science Foundation (NSF) was foundational as it granted them the responsibility for managing civilian internet domain name registrations.
Answer: True
The 1993 contract between Network Solutions and the NSF was historically significant as it designated Network Solutions with the responsibility for managing civilian internet domain name registrations.
Verisign's initial mission was focused on establishing trust for the internet and electronic commerce through Digital Authentication services.
Answer: True
The company's founding mission centered on building trust within the burgeoning internet and electronic commerce landscape via its Digital Authentication services.
Verisign divested its authentication business unit to Symantec for $1.28 billion in 2010.
Answer: True
In 2010, Verisign completed the sale of its authentication business unit, including SSL certificates, to Symantec for $1.28 billion.
Verisign acquired Network Solutions in 2000, significantly expanding its internet naming services.
Answer: True
The acquisition of Network Solutions in 2000 was a major strategic move that substantially broadened Verisign's capabilities and reach in internet naming services.
Verisign relinquished the .org TLD in 2003 in exchange for retaining the .com TLD contract.
Answer: True
Verisign's decision to relinquish the .org TLD in 2003 was strategically linked to securing the continuation of its contract for the highly valuable .com TLD.
Verisign's initial business focused on providing domain name registration services directly to consumers.
Answer: False
Verisign's foundational business model was centered on Digital Authentication services, not direct-to-consumer domain name registration.
Who is the founder of Verisign, Inc.?
Answer: James Bidzos
James Bidzos is recognized as the founder of Verisign, Inc.
What was Verisign's initial mission upon its founding in 1995?
Answer: To establish trust for the internet and electronic commerce through Digital Authentication services.
The company's founding mission centered on establishing trust within the nascent internet and electronic commerce environments via its Digital Authentication services.
Which company did Verisign acquire in 2000 for $21 billion, significantly expanding its internet naming services?
Answer: Network Solutions
Verisign's acquisition of Network Solutions in 2000 for $21 billion was a landmark transaction that substantially enhanced its internet naming services portfolio.
What part of the Network Solutions business did Verisign divest in 2003?
Answer: The retail domain name registrar business.
In 2003, Verisign divested the retail domain name registrar segment of Network Solutions, thereby sharpening its focus on registry operations.
In 2010, Verisign sold its authentication business unit, including SSL certificates, to which company?
Answer: Symantec
Symantec acquired Verisign's authentication business unit in 2010 for $1.28 billion.
What services were transferred to Neustar, Inc. from Verisign in October 2018?
Answer: Security Service Customer Contracts, including DDoS protection and Managed DNS.
In October 2018, Neustar, Inc. acquired Verisign's Security Service Customer Contracts, which included services such as DDoS protection and Managed DNS.
Why did Verisign agree to relinquish control of the .org top-level domain in 2003?
Answer: As part of ICANN's goal to foster competition, in exchange for retaining the .com contract.
Verisign relinquished the .org TLD in 2003 as part of ICANN's initiative to promote market competition, a move made in exchange for securing the continuation of its contract for the .com domain.
Which factor was NOT mentioned as contributing to Verisign retaining the .net domain contract in 2005?
Answer: A significantly lower bid price compared to competitors.
While endorsements, track record, and national security concerns were cited, a significantly lower bid price was not mentioned as a factor in Verisign retaining the .net domain contract.
In 2023, which entity was selected to assume the role of operator for the .gov top-level domain, succeeding Verisign?
Answer: Cloudflare
Cloudflare was selected by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in 2023 to take over the operation of the .gov top-level domain, replacing Verisign.
What was the historical significance of Network Solutions' 1993 contract with the National Science Foundation (NSF)?
Answer: It granted them responsibility for managing civilian internet domain name registrations.
The 1993 contract between Network Solutions and the NSF was historically significant as it designated Network Solutions with the responsibility for managing civilian internet domain name registrations, laying the groundwork for future domain management structures.
Verisign's operational role for the .gov top-level domain concluded in 2023 due to which circumstance?
Answer: Cloudflare was selected by CISA to take over the role.
Verisign's management of the .gov TLD concluded in 2023 when Cloudflare was awarded the contract by CISA to assume the operational responsibilities.
The acquisition of Network Solutions by Verisign in 2000 primarily benefited Verisign by:
Answer: Bringing the operational responsibility for the .com, .net, and .org TLDs under its umbrella.
Acquiring Network Solutions in 2000 significantly expanded Verisign's portfolio by consolidating the operational responsibility for the .com, .net, and .org top-level domains under its management.
Verisign's initial mission was focused on:
Answer: Establishing trust for the internet and electronic commerce through digital authentication.
Verisign's foundational mission was centered on establishing trust within the nascent internet and electronic commerce environments via its Digital Authentication services.
What was the primary strategic reason Verisign relinquished operational control of the .org TLD in 2003?
Answer: To comply with ICANN's directive to foster competition, in exchange for retaining the .com contract.
Verisign relinquished the .org TLD in 2003 as part of ICANN's initiative to promote market competition, a move made in exchange for securing the continuation of its contract for the .com domain.
Verisign's corporate headquarters are situated in Reston, Virginia, and the company is incorporated in the state of Delaware.
Answer: True
Verisign's corporate headquarters are indeed located in Reston, Virginia, and the company is incorporated in Delaware, a common jurisdiction for corporate registration.
Verisign relocated its headquarters from Mountain View, California, to Reston, Virginia.
Answer: True
Verisign's corporate headquarters were indeed relocated from Mountain View, California, to Reston, Virginia.
Verisign operates three mirrored data centers to ensure redundancy and continuous service availability.
Answer: True
Verisign maintains three mirrored data centers, a practice designed to ensure high availability and resilience for its critical internet services.
Verisign's headquarters were originally located in New York City before moving to California.
Answer: False
Verisign's headquarters were initially in Mountain View, California, prior to their relocation to Reston, Virginia.
Where is Verisign, Inc. headquartered?
Answer: Reston, Virginia
Verisign, Inc. maintains its corporate headquarters in Reston, Virginia.
Why did Verisign relocate its headquarters from Mountain View, California, to Reston, Virginia?
Answer: Because approximately 95% of its business operations were located on the East Coast.
The relocation of Verisign's headquarters to Reston, Virginia, was primarily driven by the fact that approximately 95% of its business operations were situated on the East Coast.
What is the purpose of Verisign operating mirrored data centers?
Answer: To ensure high availability and resilience of its critical internet services.
Operating mirrored data centers allows Verisign to maintain high availability and resilience for its critical internet services, ensuring continuity of operations even in the event of a failure at one site.
In January 2001, Verisign mistakenly issued code signing certificates to an individual posing as a Microsoft employee.
Answer: True
The incident in January 2001 involved Verisign incorrectly issuing code signing certificates to an imposter, not a known Microsoft employee, creating a significant security vulnerability.
The erroneous Verisign certificates issued in 2001 were easily detectable as revoked, posing minimal security risk.
Answer: False
The erroneous certificates issued in 2001 posed a significant security risk precisely because they were not easily detectable as revoked, allowing potentially malicious software to appear legitimate.
Verisign faced legal action in 2002 concerning allegations of 'domain slamming,' a practice characterized by unauthorized domain name transfers.
Answer: True
In 2002, Verisign was involved in a lawsuit related to 'domain slamming,' which pertains to the unauthorized or deceptive transfer of domain name registrations.
The 2002 lawsuit against Verisign resulted in the company being praised for its ethical domain transfer practices.
Answer: False
The 2002 lawsuit concerning domain transfers did not result in praise; rather, it led to court-mandated restrictions on Verisign's practices related to domain transfers and renewals.
Verisign's 'Site Finder' service redirected users attempting to access non-existent domain names to a search engine.
Answer: True
The 'Site Finder' service, introduced by Verisign, functioned by redirecting users who navigated to non-existent .com or .net domains to a search results page.
ICANN did not approve Verisign's 'Site Finder' service, contending it exceeded the scope of their contractual agreement.
Answer: True
ICANN objected to Verisign's 'Site Finder' service, arguing that its implementation went beyond the terms stipulated in Verisign's contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Verisign disclosed in February 2012 that its network security had been breached multiple times during 2010.
Answer: True
Verisign disclosed in February 2012 that its network security had been compromised by multiple breaches that occurred during 2010.
Verisign faced criticism for promptly reporting its 2010 data breaches in early 2011.
Answer: False
Verisign faced criticism not for promptly reporting, but for the substantial delay in disclosing the data breaches that occurred in 2010, which were only revealed in February 2012.
In November 2010, Verisign executed takedowns of websites engaged in illegal activities under orders from U.S. law enforcement.
Answer: True
Acting under directives from U.S. law enforcement, Verisign facilitated the takedown of 82 websites involved in illegal activities in November 2010.
Verisign shut down the Bodog.com website in March 2012 based on a court order, even though the domain was registered in Canada.
Answer: True
In March 2012, Verisign complied with a court order to shut down the Bodog.com website, notwithstanding the domain's registration to a Canadian entity.
The core issue with the 2001 code signing certificates was that they were issued to competitors, not Microsoft.
Answer: False
The fundamental issue with the 2001 code signing certificate incident was the issuance to an imposter posing as a Microsoft employee, not to competitors.
The controversy surrounding Verisign's 'Site Finder' service in 2003 centered on ICANN's objection that the service violated Verisign's contract.
Answer: True
ICANN's objection to the 'Site Finder' service was based on the assertion that its implementation constituted a violation of Verisign's existing contractual obligations with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The 'Site Finder' service was controversial because it was seen as an unauthorized expansion of Verisign's contracted services.
Answer: True
The controversy surrounding the 'Site Finder' service stemmed from the perception that it represented an unauthorized expansion beyond the scope of Verisign's contractual obligations.
What was the primary security risk associated with the erroneous code signing certificates Verisign mistakenly issued in January 2001?
Answer: Software signed with these certificates could appear legitimate, potentially leading to the installation of malware.
The primary security risk stemmed from the fact that software signed with these fraudulent certificates could be trusted by users, potentially facilitating the distribution and installation of malware.
What legal issue did Verisign face in 2002 related to unauthorized domain transfers?
Answer: Domain slamming
In 2002, Verisign was sued for 'domain slamming,' a practice involving the unauthorized or deceptive transfer of domain name registrations.
The controversy surrounding Verisign's 'Site Finder' service in 2003 was primarily between Verisign and which organization?
Answer: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
The dispute over Verisign's 'Site Finder' service in 2003 was primarily conducted between Verisign and ICANN, concerning the service's contractual compliance.
What was the primary criticism directed at Verisign concerning its disclosure of a data breach in February 2012?
Answer: There was a substantial delay in reporting the breaches that occurred in 2010.
The principal criticism against Verisign regarding the February 2012 disclosure was the significant time lag between the actual occurrence of the data breaches in 2010 and their subsequent reporting.
In March 2012, Verisign shut down the website Bodog.com under a court order. What was notable about the domain's registration?
Answer: It was registered to a company based in Canada.
The Bodog.com website shutdown in March 2012 was notable because, despite the domain being registered to a Canadian entity, Verisign complied with the U.S. court order.
What was the fundamental issue concerning the 2001 code signing certificate error?
Answer: Certificates were issued to an imposter posing as a Microsoft employee, creating a security risk.
The core problem with the 2001 code signing certificate incident was that Verisign issued certificates to an imposter, thereby enabling malicious software to appear legitimate and posing a significant security threat.
The controversy surrounding Verisign's 'Site Finder' service in 2003 centered on ICANN's objection that the service:
Answer: Violated Verisign's contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
ICANN's objection to the 'Site Finder' service was based on the assertion that its implementation constituted a violation of Verisign's existing contractual obligations with the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) did not express concerns regarding Verisign's role in operating the .gov domain.
Answer: True
While the EFF has raised concerns about corporate control over internet infrastructure, the provided information does not indicate specific concerns raised by the EFF regarding Verisign's operation of the .gov domain.
In March 2012, the U.S. government asserted its authority to seize domain names within top-level domains such as .com and .net, provided the administering companies were U.S.-based.
Answer: True
The U.S. government declared in March 2012 that it possessed the authority to seize domain names within TLDs like .com and .net, provided the entities responsible for administering these domains were located in the United States.
What concern did the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) articulate following events such as the 2010 website seizures?
Answer: Private corporations held too much control over critical internet infrastructure.
The EFF expressed apprehension regarding the substantial control that private corporations wield over essential internet infrastructure, highlighting potential risks associated with such centralized power.
What did the U.S. government assert in March 2012 regarding its authority over certain domain names?
Answer: It could seize domain names in TLDs like .com and .net if the administering companies were U.S.-based.
The U.S. government declared in March 2012 that it possessed the authority to seize domain names within TLDs like .com and .net, provided the entities responsible for administering these domains were located in the United States.